16 February 2010

Hellas Grill Express

Hellas Grill is a no-frills take-out place that specializes in the Hellenic staple, the gyro. Luckily for vegetarians, Hellas also makes veggie gyros and a number of other meatless Greek options that pack a pile of flavor into a very modest price.

The menu at Hellas Grill Express is somewhat strange in that it features Greek favorites alongside pizzas and subs. Vegetarian pizza options are the mixed veggie and the Margherita. There is also a veggie sub made with tzatziki.

However, considering the fact that I was headed to an establishment whose name is derived from the nation of Greece, I did the proper thing and limited my order to Eastern Mediterranean fare.

The spanakopita was tasty, although it seemed like it was a pre-fab, frozen spinach pie rather than the fresh variety. Considering that it cost $2.50, it was at least passable.

The falafel gyro, on the other hand, was outstanding. The falafel was made with chickpeas as well as fresh veggies including green peppers and onions. It was topped with lettuce, tomato, red onion and tzatziki sauce and served in fat pita bread. Although the falafel gyro was a daily special, it showed that the veggie gyro would also be pretty tasty.

I also have to give the staff at Hellas credit at addressing vegetarian concerns. I asked about the falafel gyro, and the gentleman explained the dish using to word vegetarian three times without me even uttering the v-word. That was more than enough to assure me that like most Greek restaurants, Hellas is a safe place for vegetarians to grab take-out fare.

Prices at Hellas are inexpensive. My bill was about $7.50. From walking in the door to paying the bill, I was at Hellas for 20 minutes.